My Knitting Life

Ok, why didn't anyone tell me my zipper was down?  I had a green thing in my tooth?  A flecky thing in my..., oh you get the point!

In a recent email, the kind and tactful Bonnie said "Is it 'Na Cragna' or 'Na Craga', I'm never sure which?"  Wasn't that a sweet and gentle way of saying "Hell-ooo?  You've been spelling it wrong in all your posts and the whole world knows it???  Just go check if you want - the correct way is NOT the way I spelled it.  Jeez! 

And to further my feelings of inadequacy, today I went out and did my first Christmas shopping.  I was completely useless.  I didn't have a list.  Wore the wrong shoes.  No cash in my wallet for those small purchases.  No coupons.  No sizes noted down for gift recipients.  I got flashes of brilliant ideas - but ON THE WAY HOME!<

Tis the season.  Must.Stay.Calm.

Mistakes

Mistakes?  You won't find any.  It's not that I didn't make them.  I certainly had my moments!  In fact, one day last week, I was blabbering on to a friend about how "easy" this pattern is, and didn't I go and make a mistake that night?

I was knitting along and when I got to row 8 in which the big cables cross, darned if I wasn't short a stitch in one of the cables!  A quick look at the back revealed nothing.  I had to unknit 8 rows down that cable to find the little lost lamb hiding in the folds of the previous cable cross.  Back on the needle, and into the fold for that little guy.  From now on I will keep my mouth shut about "easy" patterns.

I seem to go into a trance-like state while knitting this project.  Recently, my thoughts turned to how some patterns use a difficulty scale, (ie, easy, difficult, zesty, etc.) referring to the challenge inherent in the project, while others seem to classify projects for certain types of the knitters, ie, "for experienced knitters".  I think the first classification is much more useful, suggesting what you're in for, no matter what your level of skill or experience.

Experience just means you've been around the block a few times.  You know what questions to ask and where to go find the answers.  It takes a lot of time and a lot of knitting to get there.  Still, every project has little nuances where judgement is required - should I bind off in pattern or not, which cast-on would work best, etc.?  But one of the best things about experience is the calmness with which you accept mistakes and the resolve that sets in when it comes time to fix them.

Thanks to all for all your support over Thanksgiving.  Maddy and I had a cozy, wonderful day!  If you're ever feeling blue, try watching Disney's "Pollyanna" with Hailey Mills - you will be "glad" you did!  We had a nice candlelit homecooked meal.  The boys didn't understand why we weren't jumping with joy when they came bounding in the door!   

Yes, dear friends, it's true.  We have a second case of varicella here at the homestead.  Seems that vaccine I was so conscientious in administering 10+ years ago has run its time, or was defective, or for some unknown reason didn't live up to its claims of full immunoprotection against the ubiquitous varicella virus. 

What this means is that our plans have changed.  My husband will take the boys to his family gathering, and Maddy and I will stay home.  My husband has offered to take my place here nursing the sick, but since the gathering is with his dysfunctional family, I wouldn't dream of asking him to do that.

So I bought a small turkey and all the stuff to make the classic Thanksgiving meal for two.  We will make a fire and make a pie, and we will knit and watch TV.  And we will try to remember the things we are thankful for:

home (with all it's imperfections)

brothers and sons (as crazy as they are sometimes)

oatmeal baths (and the relief they give)

Cascade 220 (or whatever you're working with on any given day)

knit-blogging friends (always there)

our country and our friends from around the world (and the Internet that connects us)

vaccines (which have protected millions of children and adults from debilitating infectious diseases over the years - we have the pox, but a milder case as they go, probably due to the vaccine offering some immunoprotection).

A small list - may you have your own things to add.  Happy Thanksgiving and Peace to All!

Wildflowers

Alas, I abandoned poor White Truffles. As some of you may know, I had embarked on an experiment to see if I could create a mutant of Norma's Plain Vanilla using the lovely and rustic Green Mountain Green which I picked up in Rhinebeck. I don't know what happened. I cast on, went a few rounds, and there it sat. For weeks. Something wasn't right, and I spent no time uncovering the problem. I just ripped. I went straight to the Green Mountain Spinnery book which sits on my shelf, and picked out Moriah's Wildflower cardigan, a pattern written for this yarn.

I am using this as my decoy.  Whenever my husband is around, I work on Wildflowers.  The rest of the time, I am chugging along on Na Cragna, which I am now determined to make his Christmas present.  I am about 10 cm from completing the back, and have set a goal of completing at least 1 pattern repeat (8 rows) a day.

Thanksgiving preparations are well underway.  I'm preparing foods to take to all our celebrations and right now I am heading over to school for a feast!

Oops. Got a little sidetracked from zippers there. First we had the Guinness-Book-Of-World-Records Longest case of chicken pox in an 8 year old. Or at least it felt that way - 8 days and he's back at school. Then we had a run-in with a stick which resulted in a trip to the emergency room and some Frankenstein like stitches across the forehead of the 6 year old. My mom said I'm out of the woods because things come in threes - broken foot, chicken pox, stitches. Let's hope so! So, zipper is pinned in place...

The next steps are as follows:

1. Baste zipper in place.  You can see my basting stitches in the first photo.
2. Also first photo, use a back stitch to sew zipper in place on the wrong side.  I left pins in and removed them as I came to them.
3. Turn over and use an overcast stitch to sew edge of sweater to zipper.  This is where you can move the sweater around a bit to get an even look.  The stitches are like little lines perpendicular to the zipper. (Not a great photo!)
4. If you like a nice look on the inside, sew pretty ribbon over the zipper.  Margene taught me this, and it really is fun to find and use these decorative ribbons!

All zipped up!

Ok, did I make that sound painless?  It's not!  Zippers aren't difficult, and they add a sporty look to a sweater.  But there is a lot to think about and a fair amount of tedious stitchery.  I was so careful to measure, and still my zipper seemed too long!  I actually shortened it by removing the little metal stop at the top, removing about an inch of teeth, and replacing the stop.  There was a lot of cussing going on at that point, and can you see what it did to my fingernail in the first photo?

Time to move on.  Na Cragna is calling!  Have a great weekend everyone!

A Zipper Story

I've decided to give BPT a zipper. My first zipper was last year, and I have learned so much since then that I am hoping for a better result.  One thing I learned is that dark colors hide a multitude of sins when it comes to stitching.  I also know now not to skip a single step and not to rush.  OK, enough lecturing, how about if we pump up the volume around here and talk zippers!

Step One:  Assemble your materials: blocked sweater, zipper*, needle and matching thread, basting thread in contrasting color, yarn and crochet hook, pins, and Nancy Wiseman's Finishishing Techniques, which will be your guide.

*zipper: You might be lucky to find one off the shelf at your local shop, but ever since Margene clued me in to Zipperstop I don't bother running for zippers anymore. Last week, I stuck a snippet of yarn and my measurement (taken from the blocked sweater) and a basic description of what I needed it for (medium weight hooded sweater) in an envelope to them, and I had a perfectly matched zipper in three days, total cost under $5.00.

Step Two:  Single crochet a stabilizing edge around the border where the zipper will go.  Since this is a hooded sweater, I am going to put the edge all the way around.  Try to keep tension loose enough so the edge stays flat.  Why does crochet make me feel like I have hulk hands?

Step Three:  Pin zipper in place.  I like to place pins in 1 inch intervals because then I know the zipper will line up for sewing.  I pin with the zipper closed, and I try not to pin although the way through the back of the sweater or to the carpet below.  Now my neck hurts, my fingers are pricked and my thoughts turn to getting some other things done around the house.

Time to call it a day!  Tomorrow?  Basting, stitching, attaching ribbon. 

Smitten

Smitten.  I am with Na Cragna.  I was home all weekend with a kid with chicken pox and a husband travelling on business, so I was able to put in more knitting time than usual.  Some crazy thoughts crept into my head, like "maybe I can finish this by Christmas?", and "maybe I should make 'Aranmore" for me?".

Some details:  Pattern is Na Cragna from Aran Knitting.  I am making the largest size for my husband. Yarn is Cascade 220 in color 4001, better represented on their website or in my last post.  I purchased the yarn from PurlSoho when they had it on sale this summer (the sweater will cost about $45!).  At the time, I wasn't sure about the color, but I think it will suit my husband perfectly.  This is a great first cable project because the motifs are repeated every 4 or 8 rows, simple cable fronts and backs, and knitting and purling.

I know if I stick with this I could finish it for Christmas, but will I hit the wall?  Will my wrists ache?  Will I be able to keep up with all that the holiday season requires? Will my blog become about as exciting as watching paint dry?    

Dream Knits

Kim posed the following question in per post today:  "If you could knit anything you want, unlimited by money or time, what would it be?"

It just so happens that I had just cast on Na Cragna a couple days ago.  It is my dream knit!  The pattern is beautifully written, with no mysterious instructions open to interpretation.  I have made a couple minor errors which were easily corrected by "unknitting" down.  The cabling is deceptively simple - very rich looking but using easy techniques.  No cable needle needed - a big bonus for me because I prefer not to use one.

I must thank Katy for going to all that trouble to knit one of these up in Cascade 220 just to show me how perfect this yarn is for this sweater.  Plus, she took that long trip to Rhinebeck to show me in person!  Thanks Katy! This yarn is soft but substantial and the cables really pop. 

Not convinced?  Check out Sandy's gorgeous Inishmore in a beautiful heathery blue Cascade 220.  By the way, notice how similar my photo is to hers?  (I'm such a Sandy-wannabee.)

Kim's question came at a time when I have been a bit "stash bound", so I must admit I didn't really close my eyes and try to imagine no limits - anything is possible.  I'm sure, without much straining, I could come up with quite a list, like, say, this, this or this.  But in the meantime, it is quite satisfying to be working on something so pleasurable while keeping my promise to myself to stick to the stash!

Happy Dreaming Everyone! 

BPT ~ Pattern From Knitty

Yarn:  12 skeins Cascade Lana D'Oro (50/50 wool/alpaca)

Needles:  Size 7 Circulars

All my photographers went to school, so I was left to my own devices.  BPT still needs a zipper, which has been special ordered.  The color is better represented in the inside photos.  This was a great pattern with some fun techniques:  attached i-cord, picking up the hood stitches and keeping the cables in line, nice waist shaping.  Let's hope Cascade re-introduces this yarn, because it creates a light, soft fabric which shows the cables nicely.  And thanks to all who cheered me on to completion when I was really losing steam! 

Closing In on BPT

What is it about being 3 inches from completion with a project that causes me to go into slow-motion?  It's when I can see the horizon that I do things like:

1. Cast on and work an inch of Na Cragna
2. Take a trip to Borders, just to see what's on the shelf
3. Spend countless hours surfing all favorite yarn outlets, just to see what's on sale
4. Go to the library and read up on some esoteric topic like twined knitting
5. Start my third pair of mittens in the past month

I think I need a knitting personal trainer to get me to go the distance on this one.

I like all these new Typepad upgrades, but I must admit I feel compelled to use them, just because they're there.  What's that all about?

Thank God for Spell Check, though....